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The strikes began the week of Monday, Feb. 17, and have continued through Monday, Feb. 24, involving corrections officers at prisons throughout New York including Ossining's Sing Sing facility.
A group of Sing Sing staff were seen protesting on Thursday, Feb. 20, when they were visited by Westchester County Legislator James Nolan, Congressman Mike Lawler, and Assemblyman Matt Slater.
"Every day, these heroes walk into dangerous environments to earn a living, yet the state continues to turn its back on them, exacerbating their already challenging circumstances," Nolan said of the protests on Thursday, adding, "The Halt Act, along with many other misguided policies, has placed these officers in harm's way."
Many striking corrections officers are upset with the HALT Act, which lessens the allowed use of solitary confinement for violent inmates. Many feel this has increased violence against prison guards, CBS News reported.
Others are frustrated with longer working hours, forced overtime, and conditions they say are "inhumane," according to the outlet.
In response to the strikes, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order activating members of the New York National Guard to help supplement corrections staff at prisons such as Sing Sing.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hochul called the strikes an "illegal work stoppage" and said they were "disruptive and unsanctioned."
"They are jeopardizing the safety of their colleagues, the prison population, and causing undue fear for the residents in the surrounding communities," Hochul continued. On the same day as her executive order, a judge also granted a temporary restraining order that mandated that those striking "cease the illegal activity," according to her office.
According to CBS, on Thursday, the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision offered those striking two times the hourly rate for overtime, rescinded a staffing directive that had sparked outrage, and also suspended parts of the HALT Act. Both sides of the conflict will meet with a mediator on Monday, Feb. 24, the outlet reported.
Click here to read the full report by CBS News.
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